Air cleaner



Nov. 28, 1967 w WILSON 3,354,621

AIR CLEANER Filed Feb. 13, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ASP/ 8470 23 TOAVTIKE j MAI/F040 INVENTOR. 54/45 m 40/4504 E. W. WILSON Nov. 28, 71967 AIR CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 13, 1964 AMA/11 01.0

INVENTOR. EZ/AS M wmso/z 3,354,621 Patented Nov. 28, 1967 3,354,621 AIR CLEANER Eiias W. Wilson, Royal Oak, Mich. (8 Dowd Court, Kimball, Nehr. 69145) Filed Feb. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 344,581 8 Claims. (Cl. 55-337} This invention relates to air cleaners, for use with internal combustion engines or other air-using devices, and more particularly to an air cleaning device using a dry paper element as the primary air cleansing means.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved air cleaner which is simple in construction, which is relatively compact in size, and which is provided with preliminary dirt and dust removal means to separate the heavier particles of air-entrained material prior to the passage of the air through the main cleaning cartridge, whereby to greatly extend the useful life of the cartridge, as well as to provide a more thorough air cleansing action.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved air cleaner which is provided with trap means to remove the relatively larger and heavier particles of aircarried dirt and dust before the actual passage of the air through the main porous filter element of the device, thus greatly improving the capacity and efliciency of the device, as well as enabling smaller and more porous cartridge elements to be employed, thus providing a considerable reduction in cost and size of the unit.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved air cleaner for use with an internal combustion engine or with a similar air-using device, the air cleaner being inexpensive to manufacture, being durable in construction, being highly efficient in operation, being easy to install, and being similarly very easy to take apart for cleaning, repair or replacement of parts.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view, partly in vertical cross section, of an improved air cleaner construction in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view taken line 2 2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates an air cleaning device constructed in accordance with the present invention. The air cleaning device 11 comprises a supporting base member 12 which may be provided with suitable mounting means, not shown, for supporting same adjacent to an internal combustion engine, or other airusing device to be furnished with filtered air. In the typical embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the supporting member 12 comprises a generally circular pan-shaped body having an upwardly projecting peripheral wall 13 provided with an annular top bead 14. Designated at 15 is a generally cylindrical housing having an outer upwardly directed circumferentially extending band portion 16, said band portion 16 being secured to the bottom margin of the housing 15 and being formed at its top end with a downwardly turned annular flange 17 which is downwardly concave and which receives a resilient deformable sealing ring 18 which engages the bead 14 of the pan-shaped base member 12 to seal the housing 15 with respect to said member 12. As shown in FIGURE 1, the lower marginal portion of housing 15 and its hand elernent 16 are slidably received in the top portion of the member 12 and are sealed relative thereto by the sealing ring 18. A plurality of conventional locking clip assemblies 1? are provided on the housing 15, the assemsubstantially on blies 19 having depending pivoted resilient hook members 21) which are engageable beneath the bead 14 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1, whereby to securely clamp the housing 15 to the base member 12 when the locking levers 21 of the clip assemblies 19 are rotated to their upwardly extending vertical positions, shown in FIGURE 1.

The cylindrical wall of the housing 15 is provided with an outlet conduit 22 which is adapted to be connected to the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine with which the device is used, or to the intake of any other air-using device employing the air cleaner 11.

The housing 15 is provided with the annular top wall 23 having the upwardly offset intermediate annular portion 24 and the upwardly and inwardly convergent frustoconical inner portion 25 which is upwardly offset relative to the intermediate portion 24 and is connected thereto by the vertical cylindrical wall portion 26 and the short frusto-conical corner portion 27, as shown in FIGURE 1. The inner frusto-conical portion 25, which serves as a baflle member as will be presently described, is provided at its top rim with the upstanding vertical flange 28.

Secured on the top wall 23 outwardly adjacent the offset 39 connecting portion 23 to the intermediate upwardly off-set portion 24 is an annular connection collar 31 having the horizontal annular top wall portion 32 terminating in the vertical inner flange 33. Secured to the inside surface of the flange 33 is a relatively large cylindrical air inlet conduit 34 which extends downwardly externally parallel to the vertical annular top wall element 26 and which terminates a short distance above the horizontal intermediate annular top wall portion 24, thus defining a restricted annular passage 35 leading to an annular dust-collection space 36' defined within the connection collar 31. Communicatively connected to the connection collar 31 and extending substantially tangentially relative thereto, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, is an aspirator conduit element 36 adapted to be connected to the exhaust manifold of the internal combustion engine with which the air cleaner 11 is used, or to any other suitable conduit containing moving fluid adapted to develop a vacuum in the conduit so.

Mounted in the top end of the air inlet conduit 34 is a vane assembly comprising a plurality of radially extending overlapping inclined swirl plates 37 whose outer edges are secured to the inside surface of the conduit 34 and whose inner ends are secured to a central connecting disc 38 located in the top portion of conduit 34. As above stated, the swirl plates 37 overlap each other and are inclined downwardly and at the same angle, whereby to produce a swirling action in the air which enters the top end of the conduit 34, causing the air to move downwardly and inwardly through the conduit 34 in a circular spiral path, which produces a centrifugal action on the dirt and dust particles contained in the air, throwing the heavier particles outwardly and causing the heavier particles to move down through the restricted passage 35, which is relatively narrow and which thus acts as a suction intake nozzle, since it is acted upon by suction developed in the aspirating conduit 36. The direction of circular movement of the air is clockwise, as viewed in FIGURE 2, so that the air carrying the heavier dust or dirt particles is conveyed through the space 36 and leaves same by way of the tangentially extending aspirating conduit 36.

Secured to the lower portion of the frusto-conical inner top wall element 25 is a downwardly convergent frame structure 44} comprising a plurality of downwardly and inwardly extending channel-shaped frame bars 41 which are upwardly concave, the frame bars being integrally connected at their bottom ends to a generally triangular center element 42 to which member 43. The stud member 43 passes through a central is welded a depending stud aperture 44 in a bottom flanged supporting disc 45 which is supported by a wing nut 46 threadedly engaged on the lower portion of stud 43, as shown in FIGURE 1. An annular paper filter assembly 47 is clamped between the flanged outer peripheral portion of disc 45 and the upwardly offset intermediate top wall portion 24, being thus held in the path of movement of the air traveling downwardly through top collar 28 and outwardly toward the space 48 in housing which communicates with the outlet conduit 22. The annular paper filter 47 is of accordionpleated construction, having vertical accordion pleats so that a large area is exposed, whereby to provide efficient filtering action with minimum restriction to air flow therethrough. The paper is relatively porous and is of well known composition, being conventional per se.

The air, after having been separated from the heavier particles initially carried thereby, and above described, passes downwardly to the central space in the device, and thence through the porous paper filter 47 into the space 48, and then flows outwardly through the conduit 22 to the intake manifold of the associated internal combustion engine, or to the intake portion of other air-using apparatus with which the air cleaner 11 is used.

Due to the centrifugal action above described, the air containing the heavier particles is driven outwardly and thence moves downwardly along the baffie plate 25 into the restricted space and is drawn into the collection space 36', where the heavier particles are deposited and are withdrawn from space 36 through the aspirator conduit 36. The aspirator conduit 36 develops a sufficient vacuum to remove the dust and dirt deposited in the space 36 as fast as it is delivered thereto, and the flow of air carrying the heavier dust and dirt particles occurs smooth- 1y because of the guiding action provided by the frustoconical bafiie member 25. The clearance in the space 35 is held to a minimum so that the annular nozzle defined thereby provides a strong suction effect. Normally, at least ten percent of the air is bled off through the aspirator conduit 36, but the air carried away contains a relatively large amount of dust and dirt particles, particularly, the heavier dust and dirt particles which are thrown outwardly by the centrifugal action induced by the swirl plates 37 under the effects of the rapidly moving air stream. The air movement is produced not only as a result of the aspirator action of the conduit 36, connected to the exhaust conduit of the engine, but also by the vacuum normally present in the conduit 22, which is connected to the intake manifold of the engine. The speed of rotary movement of the downwardly moving air is therefore substantial, causing substantial centrifugal force to be developed on the dust and dirt particles contained in the incoming air.

As will be readily apparent, the air cleaner 11 is suitable for use not only with heavy duty internal combustion engines but with other air-using equipment, for example, in air conditioning applications. The aspirator conduit 36 may be connected either to the exhaust manifold of an engine, as above explained, or to any other suction action producing source, for example, to the intake of a suction blower.

The pre-cleaning action provided by the centrifugal separation of the heavier dust and dirt particles and their removal through the exhaust aspirator conduit 36 acts to remove a large proportion of the dust or dirt in the air before the air is forced through the primary filter 4,7. In many cases as much as ninety percent of the dust or dirt is removed before the air comes into contact with filter 47. As will be readily apparent this greatly increases the service life of the filter 47 as well as reducing the need for its frequent replacement. In a case where ninety percent of the dirt and dust is moved by the pre-cleaning portion of the device, it will be readily apparent that the service life of the filter element 47 is increased by approximately ten times. Furthermore, the required servicing time for the device is correspondingly decreased, since replacement of the filter 47 is necessary only after long periods of operation of the device, even under severe conditions.

While a specific embodiment of an improved air cleaning device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modification within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An air cleaning device for an internal combustion engine or other air-using device comprising a supporting base, a housing sealingly mounted on said base and having a top wall and an annular outer wall provided with an air outlet, said housing having an upstanding air inlet conduit including means for imparting centrifugal force, an annular connection collar securing the lower portion of said inlet conduit to the housing top wall and being spaced outwardly from said lower portion to define a dust collection space outwardly adjacent said inlet conduit, a dust outlet conduit connected to said collar, a downwardly divergent annular bafiie member rigidly mounted axially in the lower portion of said inlet conduit and having a depending bottom marginal portion spaced inwardly from the bottom margin of said inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading downwardly to the bottom edge of said inlet conduit, outwardlyextending wall means merging with said depending marginal portion and said connection collar and spaced beneath the bottom edge of the inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading to said dust collection space, and an annular porous filter cartridge axially mounted in said housing below said baffle member constructed and arranged to constrain the flow of gas therethrough before passing through said air inlet.

2. An air cleaning device for an internal combustion engine or other air-using device comprising a supporting base, a housing sealingly mounted on said base and having a top wall and an annular outer wall provided with an air outlet, said housing having an upstanding air inlet conduit, an annular connection collar securing the lower portion of said inlet conduit to the housing top wall and being spaced outwardly from said lower portion to define a dust collection space outwardly adjacent said inlet conduit, a dust outlet conduit connected to said collar, a downwardly divergent annular bafiie member rigidly mounted axially in the lower portion of said inlet conduit and having a depending bottom marginal portion spaced inwardly from the bottom margin of said inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading downwardly to the bottom edge of said inlet conduit, outwardly-extending wall means merging with said depending marginal portion and said connection collar and spaced beneath the bottom edge of the inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading to said dust collection space, an annular porous filter cartridge axially mounted in said housing below said baffle member constructed and arranged to constrain the flow of gas therethrough before passing through said air inlet, and a plurality of radially extending, overlapping inclined swirl plates secured in the top portion of said inlet conduit.

3. An air cleaning device for an internal combustion engine or other air-using device comprising a supporting base, a housing sealingly mounted on said base and having a top wall and an annular outer Wall provided with an air outlet, said housing having an upstanding air inlet conduit including means for imparting centrifugal force, an annular connection collar securing the lower portion of said inlet conduit to the housing top wall and being spaced outwardly from said lower portion to define a dust collection space outwardly adjacent said inlet conduit, a dust outlet conduit connected to said collar, a downwardly divergent annular baffle member rigidly mounted axially in the lower portion of said inlet conduit and having a depending bottom marginal portion spaced inwardly from the bottom margin of said inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading downwardly to the bottom edge of said inlet conduit, outwardlyextending wall means merging with said depending marginal portion and said connection collar and spaced beneath the bottom edge of the inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading to said dust collection space, an imperforate bottom disc, and an annular porous filter member clamped between said bottom disc and the housing top wall substantially coaxial with said inlet conduit.

4. An air cleaning device for an internal combustion engine or other air-using device comprising a supporting base, a housing sealingly mounted on said base and having a top wall and an annular outer wall provided with an air outlet, said housing having an upstanding air inlet conduit including means for imparting centrifugal force, an annular connection collar securing the lower portion of said inlet conduit to the housing top wall and being spaced outwardly from said lower portion to define a dust collection space outwardly adjacent said inlet conduit, a dust outlet conduit connected to said collar, a downwardly divergent annular bafile member rigidly mounted axially in the lower portion of said inlet conduit and having :1 depending bottom marginal portion spaced inwardly from the bottom margin of said inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading downwardly to the bottom edge of said inlet conduit, outwardly-extending wall means merging with said depending marginal portion and said connection collar and spaced beneath the bottom edge of the inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading to said dust collection space, an imperforate bottom disc, an annular porous filter member disposed between said bottom disc and the housing top wall substantially coaxial with said inlet conduit, a downwardly convergent connecting framework secured to said bafiie member, a depending clamping stud on the apex portion of said framework and extending through the center of said bottom disc, and nut means on said stud exerting upward clamping force on said disc.

5. An air cleaning device for an internal combustion engine or other air-using device comprising a supporting base, a housing sealingly mounted on said base and having a top wall and an annular outer wall provided with an air outlet, said housing having an upstanding air inlet conduit, an annular connection collar securing the lower portion of said inlet conduit to the housing top wall and being spaced outwardly from said lower portion to define a dust collection space outwardly adjacent said inlet conduit, a dust outlet conduit connected to said collar, a downwardly divergent annular bafile member rigidly mounted axially in the lower portion of said inlet conduit and having a depending bottom marginal portion spaced inwardly from the bottom margin of said inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading downwardly to the bottom edge of said inlet conduit, outwardly-extending wall means merging with said depending marginal portion and said connection collar and spaced beneath the bottom edge of the inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading to said dust collection space, an imperforate bottom disc, an annular porous filter member disposed between said bottom disc and the housing top wall substantially coaxial with said inlet conduit, a downwardly convergent connecting framework secured to said balfle member, a depending clamping stud on the apex portion of said framework and extending through the center of said bottom disc, nut means on said stud exerting upward clamping force on said disc, and a plurality of radially extending, overlapping inclined swirl plates secured in the top portion of said inlet conduit.

6. An air cleaning device for an internal combustion engine or other air-using device comprising a supporting base, a housing sealingly mounted on said base and having a top wall and an annular outer wall provided with an air outlet, said housing having an upstanding air inlet conduit including means for imparting centrifugal force, an annular connection collar securing the lower portion of said inlet conduit to the housing top wall and being spaced outwardly from said lower portion to define a dust collection space outwardly adjacent said inlet conduit, a dust outlet conduit connected to said collar, a downwardly divergent annular bafile member rigidly mounted axially in the lower portion of said inlet conduit and having a depending annular bottom peripheral skirt portion spaced inwardly from the bottom margin of said inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading downwardly to the bottom edge of said inlet conduit, outwardlyextending wall means merging with said depending skirt portion and said connection collar and spaced beneath the bottom edge of the inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading to said dust collection space, and an annular porous filter cartridge axially mounted in said housing below said batfie member constructed and arranged to constrain the flow of gas therethrough before passing through said air inlet.

7. An air cleaning device for an internal combustion engine or other air-using device comprising a supporting base, a housing sealingly mounted on said base and having a top wall and an annular outer wall provided with an air outlet, said housing having an upstanding air inlet conduit, an annular connection collar securing the lower portion of said inlet conduit to the housing top wall and being spaced outwardly from said lower portion to define a dust collection space outwardly adjacent said inlet conduit, a dust outlet conduit connected to said collar, a downwardly divergent annular battle member rigidly mounted axially in the lower portion of said inlet conduit and having a depending annular bottom peripheral skirt portion spaced inwardly from the bottom margin of said inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading downwardly to the bottom edge of said inlet conduit, outwardlyextending wall means merging with said depending skirt portion and said connection collar and spaced beneath the bottom edge of the inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading to said dust collection space, an imperforate bottom disc, an annular porous filter member disposed between said bottom disc and the housing top wall substantially coaxial with said inlet conduit, a downwardly convergent connecting framework secured to said bafile member, a depending clamping stud on the apex portion of said framework and extending through the center of said bottom disc, nut means on said stud exerting upward clamping force on said disc, and a plurality of radially extending, overlapping inclined swirl plates secured in the top portion of said inlet conduit.

8. An air cleaning device for an internal combustion engine or other air-using device comprising a supporting base, a housing sealingly mounted on said base and having a top wall and an annular outer wall provided with an air outlet, said housing having an upstanding air inlet conduit, an annular connection collar securing the lower portion of said inlet conduit to the housing top wall and being spaced outwardly from said lower portion to define a dust collection space outwardly adjacent said inlet conduit, a dust outlet conduit tangentially connected to said collar, a downwardly divergent annular bafile member rigidly mounted axially in the lower portion of said inlet conduit and having a depending bottom marginal portion spaced inwardly from the bottom margin of said inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading downwardly to the bottom edge of said inlet conduit, outwardlyextending wall means merging with said depending marginal portion and said connection collar and spaced beneath the bottom edge of the inlet conduit to define an annular passage leading to said dust collection space, an annular porous filter cartridge axially mounted in said housing below said bafile member constructed and arranged to constrain the flow of gas therethrough before passing through said air inlet, and a plurality of radially top portion of said inlet conduit.

5% extending, overlapping inclined swirl plates secured in the 3,201,927 8/ 1965 Wachter 55-521 3,235,633 2/1966 Holloway et a1. 55502 References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 1Z2; i i 3/1932 Donaldson 55-329 537O49 12/1955 g 7/1933 Walton 55-504 8/1933 Moulding et a1. 55-329 I 6/1950 Chafiey 55, 500 HARRY B. THORNTON, Plzmary Exammel. 2/1963 Wilson 55-337 10 B. NOZICK, Assistant Examiner. 3/1965 Hampton et a1. 55-337 

1. AN AIR CLEANING DEVICE FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OR OTHER AIR-USING DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORTING BASE, A HOUSING SEALINGLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE AND HAVING A TOP WALL AND AN ANNULAR OUTER WALL PROVIDED WITH AN AIR OUTLET, SAID HOUSING HAVING AN UPSTANDING AIR INLET CONDUIT INCLUDING MEANS FOR IMPARTING CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, AN ANNULAR CONNECTION COLLAR SECURING THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID INLET CONDUIT TO THE HOUSING WALL AND BEING SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID LOWER PORTION TO DEFINE A DUST COLLECTION SPACED OUTWARDLY ADJACENT SAID INLET CONDUIT, A DUST OUTLET CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID COLLAR, A DOWNWARDLY DIVERGENT ANNULAR BAFFLE MEMBER RIGIDLY MOUNTED AXIALLY IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID INLET CONDUIT AND HAVING A DEPENDING BOTTOM MARGINAL PORTION SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM MARGIN SAID INLET CONDUIT TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR PASSAGE LEADING DOWNWARDLY TO THE BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID INLET CONDUIT, OUTWARDLYEXTENDING WALL MEANS MERGING WITH SAID DEPENDING MARGINAL PORTION AND SAID CONNECTION COLLAR AND SPACED BENEATH THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE INLET CONDUIT TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR PASSAGE LEADING TO SAID DUST COLLECTION SPACE, AND AN ANNULAR POROUS FILTER CARTRIDGE AXIALLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING BELOW SAID BAFFLE MEMBER CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO CONSTRAIN THE FLOW OF GAS THERETHROUGH BEFORE PASSING THROUGH SAID AIR INLET. 